The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-22
EA TRACTS FROM AN ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
WAKE COUNTY FARM
ERS' ALLIANCE.
BY J M. TURNER.

necessity of a thorough organization
of the farmers, and call attention to,
and briefly discuss some of the benefits
tuat will accrue from such an organi-
zaiion.
OF all the successful victories &C
complished by man, there is no in
stance recorded in the annals of his
tory in which any great object was
achieved, except by a combined
effort. We are reliably informed
from history, both ancient and modern,
sacred and profane, that whenever
factions, dissentions, or party-splrlt
have arisen in the efforts Of men, fail
ure has been the invariable result (;
that for mans undertakings to be
crowned with success, a unity of feel
ing, a nenes of purpose and effort,
are indispensably necessary that in
all great movements every individual
member must feel a common interest
and q common destiny. This spirit Of
united effort gave birth to American
freedom and American institutions.
But for this principle of cooperation
and determination that characterized
oar fore-fathers in their self-sacrifcing
efforts for liberty, they never would
have established this government free
and independent of British DONNA
ton.
These truths prove clearly and un
mistakably the fact that men are nat
urally dependent upon each other, and
that if we accomplish the objects Of
our order, we must, necessarily, be
prompted by a spirit of unanimity Of
sentiment and action. 1T is very GER
tain to the mind Of reflection that a
fraternal feeling is all-important to
our success as an organization.
Notwithstanding the vital import
ance of agricultural prosperity, and
Notwithstanding the fact that upon
this grand calling-the noblest of all
callings save that Of the ministry-the
general prosperity Of the country, and
the success Of every other pursuit are
based, it is a fact much to be deplored
that it is the only occupation but what
is thoroughly organized. This is en-
phatically an age Of organizations, and
unless the farmers of this country are
aroused to a sense Of their duty and
their interest, they may not expect
anything in the future but misrepre-
sentation and oppression, as they have
had in the past. Although agriculture
is universally admitted to be the most
important of pursuits, forming, as it
does, the basis of all prosperity, yet |
risk nothing in the assertion that it is
the least appreciated and most OPP
pressed Of all. The growth and de-
velopment Of agricultural prosperity
means the prosperity Of the country
at large !; therefore, it eminently de-
serves the hearty encouragement of
all. Never before in the history of
this country have the farmers been SO
heavily burdened with an exorbitant
rate of interest as they have been
since the close Of the war. Paying,
as many have, from % to so per cent,
and even more than that in many in
stances, it is only a matter Of wonder
that the condition Of the country is
not much worse than it is. We have
a law in North Carolina that prohibits
the charging Of more than s per cent.
interest, but what does it amount to
when a farmer is forced to pay such
an enormous per cent. for the supplies
he is compelled to have? Why, it is
a mere farce upon our statue books.
While l confess, freely, that the pres
ent depressed condition of the country,
and especially of the agricultural COM
munity, is largely attributable to the
injudicious management of the farm
ers themselves, yet, the fact cannot be
successfully refuted that the ertortion
of merchants is also greatly responsible
for this state Of affairs and unless
there is a change-and a radical
change-this country will continue to
drift into monopoly and Capitalization
until, ultimately, it will be owned and
controlled by a few capitalists and
corporations, while the condition of
the great mass of the people will be
only a little better than that of slavery
itself. Never before in our history
as a people have men amassed such
fortunes in so short a time as they
have within the last several years, and
never before have the masses grown
poorer so rapidly. This establishes,
unquestionably, the fact that there is
an unhealthy concentration of wealth
n the hands of a few to the detriment
- .